Bruzon after East Bengal’s ISL triumph: We built the mentality of a winning team

After leading East Bengal FC to a historic Indian Super League (ISL) title, head coach Oscar Bruzon provided a measured and analytical analysis as he reflected on his side’s remarkable campaign.

Speaking after the championship-winning run that ended a 22-year wait for a top division title, Bruzon played down heightened emotional outbursts and instead emphasized consistency, tactical adaptability and collective belief as the key factors of East Bengal’s success.

While he acknowledged the significance of the derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, he emphasized that the victory must be seen in the broader context of overcoming all the top sides in Indian football. The coach also spoke at length about his football philosophy, the transformation within the squad and his assessment of the current state and future potential of the Indian national team.

How do you assess East Bengal’s success this season?

I see this achievement with a sense of normality, even as I understand how important it is for the club and its supporters after so many years. Of course there is emotion because East Bengal has finally achieved glory again in the form of a major title, but football teaches you to stay balanced.

This is a profession where you are assessed weekly on results. Therefore, the most important thing is to keep your emotions under control and not get carried away by success or disappointment.

We dreamed of this achievement and worked towards it all season, but now I think the emotions should mainly belong to the supporters and fans who have waited so long for this moment.

You joined halfway through last season. What were the most important tactical and technical changes you made?

There were many adjustments. Tactically, we wanted to move away from rigid structures and fixed positions. In Indian football, players are often assigned very static roles, but modern football requires adaptability and fluidity.

We have worked extensively on dynamic football: positional rotations, flexible formations and adaptation to the opponent and the specific moments within a match. Sometimes you have to dominate possession; other times you have to react quickly and play more directly. The players gradually understood this philosophy and became more comfortable with it.

READ | Red-and-Gold reborn: How East Bengal became ISL champions under coach Oscar Bruzon

But tactics aside, the biggest challenge was building a collective mindset. When I first arrived, I felt like the team lacked unity and a clear identity. There wasn’t enough belief that we could dominate games against the best clubs in the country.

We slowly developed that trust. Maybe last season we didn’t have all the resources or beliefs needed to become a truly dominant team. But this season I think we have shown the characteristics of a winning team in every respect.”

Before this triumph, many felt that the rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan had become uneven due to Mohun Bagan’s recent success. Do you think this title changes that story?

Honestly, I don’t think Mohun Bagan should take up too much space in this celebration. I know comparisons are inevitable because the derby is such a big part of football culture here, but I want this title to be recognized for what East Bengal has achieved independently.

Our success wasn’t about beating one rival. It was about competing against all the top clubs in Indian football. We faced strong teams like FC Goa, Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters – clubs who had all been champions or major contenders in the ISL in recent seasons.

This year we managed to surprise a lot of people because we were the most consistent team throughout the campaign. That consistency, over an entire season against the best teams in the league, is what truly defines champions.

How important was the dramatic late moment in the derby, especially Prabhsukhan Gill’s crucial last-minute save?

It was significant because of the timing and the emotions surrounding the situation, especially after Mohun Bagan equalized late in the match. But if I analyze the match calmly, I think we should have finished the match much earlier.

We completely dominated large parts of the derby and created many clear chances. Players like Bipin (Singh), Anton (Sojberg) and Youssef (Ezzejjari) all had opportunities to score. So while everyone will remember the last save and the tension of the final moments, I also remember how many chances we created before that.

In my opinion, if you look at the balance of the match, we were clearly the better team, especially when it comes to the chances we created.

How do you place this derby result, coming from a football culture with intense rivalries, in the wider context of the league title?

The derby was undoubtedly a key moment as it came towards the end of the season and had major implications for the title race. But I don’t think we won the league simply because we were better than Mohun Bagan in one match. We got to that stage thanks to all the hard work we had put in all season before the derby. The competition is a reward for months of consistency, discipline and good performances against any opponent.

Both clubs went into the derby knowing that even a draw would still leave us in a strong position. That alone shows the importance of the work done before that match. The title should therefore be seen as the result of sustained excellence throughout the competition campaign.

Have your coaching experiences with various teams in India and Bangladesh contributed to this transformation?

Absolute. Every experience I have had has shaped me as a coach. My time in the Maldives, Bangladesh and India gave me a deep insight into football in South Asia, while my years in Spain helped define my football philosophy.

Working with clubs like Mumbai City and Goa exposed me to different styles and competitive environments within Indian football. Before that, my experiences in Spain – especially with Mallorca and at the Celta de Vigo academy – were extremely important as I learned in environments that were strongly focused on player development, tactical intelligence and producing high-level footballers. All these experiences together have contributed to shaping the coach I am today.

You have been observing Indian football for over a decade. How do you evaluate its progress?

For me, the overall progress of Indian football has been very positive. When I first arrived in India in 2011, the game was at a very different stage than it is today.

Over the years I have seen great improvements in infrastructure, organization of the league, professionalism and quality of Indian players. Earlier, football talent was mainly concentrated in a few regions like Goa, North East, Bengal and institutions like Tata Football Academy.

Today, football has spread much more widely across different states and regions. The pool of competitive Indian players is larger and the overall standard has improved significantly. So while there are still challenges, the long-term evolution is clear.

Still, the national team has been struggling lately. Why do you think progress is not fully reflected there?

It is true that the last two years have been disappointing, especially during the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying campaigns. The results were not in line with the progress many people expected.

But I don’t think it’s fair to ignore all the developments that came before because of one difficult cycle. When I first came to India, the national team was ranked much lower internationally. There has been clear progress in competitiveness over the past decade, and India has also managed to break into the top 100 of the FIFA rankings.

Football works in cycles. Sometimes there are setbacks, but that does not mean that the overall development process comes to a standstill.

Are you hopeful about the future of Indian football and the national team?

Of course. A new World Cup cycle will begin after the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and India must use this period wisely.

The immediate goal should be to consistently qualify for the Asian Cup and further reduce the gap with the strongest Asian countries. With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams, countries like India have a better chance of realistically dreaming about qualifying in the future. The key is to continue to make steady progress, improve competitiveness and believe that the gap with the best teams can continue to narrow.

Published on May 27, 2026